My dates have been off... Today is really December 7th!

 I started my day at the Kumari Inn in Kathmandu. After a light breakfast, Dr. Kafle picked me up at 7:15 and we made his daily drive to Dhulikhel.

I dropped off my luggage at my room and made my way to the dental school. I was asked to review an orthodontic resident's presentation for the Traumatology Conference in India in 10 days. This is a photo of Arjun as we are reviewing his Powerpoint presentation.

This is a special week at the school. It is UMANG! No, this is not an abbreviation for the University of Montana Air National Guard. This is a Nepali word that means Happy Times, Excitement, or Joy. This has been a week of celebrations at the school -- and it has indeed been a happy time. 

Yesterday there were many different events (that I was not here to see). This morning I observed a quiz event where student teams had to answer all sorts of knowledge tests. Here is a photo of the winning team, Team Annapurna.

I had a great lunch at the canteen. It was a special meal because Dr. Ram, the hospital founder and leader, was dining there. I was so hungry that I forgot to snap a photo.

After lunch I went to the auditorium where the team dancing competitions were held. I sat with my student chums waiting for the dances to begin.

When the dances started, the auditorium was packed full, but I was able to get a seat in the center of the front row. Team after team of dancers performed. They were magnificent. I think there was probably some cultural symbolism to the dances that escaped me, but I thoroughly appreciated their artistry regardless. In some instances, women dancers wear costumes to portray men dancers. All of the costumes were fabulous. You had to be there to appreciate the enthusiasm of the audience, cheering and engaging with the dance teams. Although this was technically a competition with a "winner," I thought they were all winners!  

My day ended witnessing the sunset from my room.

I will not be returning to Kathmandu tomorrow to teach at the TU IOM dental school on Friday. They have a student holiday on Friday, so I will remain in Dhulikhel over the weekend.